As Silent as a Grave
by Pheonixsong07
Summary: After the death of his partner, Booth is left broken. Brennan's and Hodgin's deaths devastated their team. Investigations, mental breakdowns, revenge, and drugs ensue. What happens when the Gravedigger calls back and Hodgins and Brennan may still be alive
1. Chapter 1

Booth couldn't handle it.

He stood there, gazing at the black coffin, the priest's words floating by him unheard. He was numb.

He stood there for a long time even after the ceremony had ceased.

Silent tears soaked his face as the sky turned from a fiery orange to a deep purple till finally the night seat over him.

He had watched the workers as they had lowered her coffin into the earth, covering it. They finally placed the headstone into the freshly dug earth.

_Temperance Brennan_

_February 3, 1976-November 15, 2006_

_In loving remembrance _

He had not seen the point of burying an empty coffin, but Russ had thought it a touching goodbye to his sister.

The weight of guilt was weighing heavily on Booth at that moment. He could not handle this. With all of his training and with all of the deaths he has caused, he could not handle going through the days without her.

"Booth?"

He felt a warm hand enclose on his cold one. Angela stood beside him starring down at the grave, holding his hand for support whether it was she or he that needed it didn't matter. They were there for the other as Brennan used to be for both of them.

He let out a shallow sigh. "It's hard without her."

He could feel Angela's head nod as she leaned against him for support.

"Don't think this is your fault Booth," she said plainly her voice wavering for but a second. "It's not. We did everything we could to find them both."

He felt her squeeze his hand tighter as though trying to convince him of this physically.

"I know, but I still feel it," he told her still starring at the granite stone. "How are you holding up? You've lost more than any of us."

She averted his eyes when he tried to look at her.

"Don't say that."

"Why?" He was now turned fully to look at her.

She looked away, but he could see the tears in her eyes.

"Because…," she chocked out, the tears freely flowing, "Because I can't handle this. I…..just…can't!"

She was sobbing now as he took her into his arms. They stood there for along time just holding each other.

A storm seemed to be culminating in the distance. Booth watched the lighting and felt the bitter cold wind that was blowing it ever closer.

"We should go," he said releasing her. Her face was flushed from crying. He wiped the stray tears off her face with his thumb. "Come on or we'll get stuck in the storm."

Angela nodded, and they headed toward the parking lot.

With one final look at Bones's grave, he said a silent prayer to God that she had finally found peace along side her mother.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ms. Saroyan, my name is Agent Rodgers with the FBI special task force assigned to investigate the Gravedigger," the man who stood before her in a black Armani suit said.

"We appreciate that you're here," Cam said to the agent gesturing for him sit down on the other side of her desk.

"Well, ma'am, you may not be once I tell you that I've been sent here to investigate your team including Agent Booth," he said his sunglasses blocked out his eyes making him seem cold and distant.

"My team?" Cam said anger building inside her, "My team has been through quit enough without having to be investigated! We lost two members for crying out loud!" She was standing up now in fury.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I'm just…," he began but she cut him off.

"Don't say your just doing your job!" she was yelling now. "I don't want to hear it! Now get out!"

The agent looked stunned.

"Out!" she screamed at him.

He reluctantly got up from his seat leaving her office in a huff.

Cam collapsed back into her chair.

God, why did this happen?

She wasn't close to neither Hodgins nor Brennan, but they were her colleges and she had the up most respect for them. She hadn't wished them dead.

She was just so very frustrated.

Seeley had become cold and distant. He wouldn't look at her anymore. His mind only seemed to be on one thing: Revenge.

Cam sighed. Nothing will ever be the same.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello to everyone! I want to thank all those who read! I also want to give double-thanks to those who alerted and triple if ya reviewed! To those who added it to their favorites list I have to say two words: THANK YOU, THANK YOU! ) Now without further ado or sucking up, the continued story!**

Disclaimer: I don't own it! I didn't own it when I wrote the first chapter either I just forgot to say that!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zach's hand shook as he examined the specimen through the lens of the microscope. Glancing up he noticed the time on the clock: 4:30. Perhaps he should go home and shower. Maybe take a couple hours to sleep.

No. He could not sleep. He would make sure this killer was brought to justice. This monster who murdered the closet person to a best friend that he'd ever had and a sort of mentor figure to him would be brought to justice. He had left them to suffocate to death.

His hands began to shake more furiously. He needed to control them. He needed to find the answers. He would not fail his friends again.

Getting up off the stool to which he sat, Zach walked toward a nearby cabinet. He felt his knees shake as he lost balance and fell into it. Catching himself, he knelt down and opened the second to bottom drawer. Inside were syringes wrapped nicely in plastic. Taking one he opened it throwing the wrapping down haphazardly on the ground.

Stumbling he made his way over to the counter. Laid upon it were at least a dozen fine sterile needles. They were nicknamed "butterfly" needles for their smallness. Grabbing one he made several unsuccessful attempts to place the needle onto its plastic syringe before finally snapping it into place.

Once he achieved that, he moved on to a tiny glass case labeled "First Aid". Fumbling with his keys, he forced the tiniest into the lock turning it until the door swung open.

Inside he skimmed the labels searching for the one he needed. When he finally found it, he grabbed the small glass tube placing the needle point shakily into the top. Pulling up on the plunger, he filled the plastic with the liquid.

Smiling to himself, knowing that the pain would soon cease, he wrapped a large rubber band tightly around his forearm. Placing the needle point to his flesh, he injected the drug into his blood stream.

He felt the effects almost immediately. The shaking was gone. The twitching had ceased. His head was clear.

Taking a deep breath, he looked back over his work.

He could do this now. He would find the answers, no matter what the cost.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The punching bag swung hard from the chain to which it hung. Booth's fists met the leather causing it to jerk at an odd angle. The chain instantly was wrenched from the ceiling. The bag fell to the ground with a thud.

Booth kicked it furiously, growling out his frustrations.

When the phone rang, it caused him to almost jump out of his skin. Moving his hand away from where it hovered over his gun, he grabbed the receiver and hit talk.

"Booth"

"Seeley, hey, it's Cam." He could hear the apperception in her voice.

"Yeah, what's up?" He knew he should not be so cold to her, but he couldn't handle 'them' right now.

"Ah…I…I just wanted to see if you were doing ok." Cam's voice sounded a mixture of concern and anger.

"I'm fine, Camille," he said as someone knocked on his apartment door. What is it with people today? Could he not wallow in anger alone? "Look someone's at the door. I've got to go! Bye."

Without waiting for a reply, he hit the end button and slammed the phone back onto its base.

There came another knock on the door.

"I'm coming!" Booth growled as he grabbed the door handle. "Who…"

Angela stood there, outside of his door.

"Hey, Booth," she said smiling slightly, "I hope I'm not disturbing you." Her voice was very quiet like it was the middle of the night and she was afraid of waking up his neighbors.

"Hi, Angela. No, I'm not busy come on in," he said stepping out from in front of the door.

She entered tentatively, glancing around at the scene. He noticed her eyes come to rest on the remains of the punching bag, the one he had just mutilated.

"I was just working out," he replied to her unspoken question. He could see it there in her eyes.

"What were you working out? 'Cause it doesn't seem to be your muscles if you can do that to a leather punching bag," she remarked bluntly.

He just shrugged. If anyone would understand, he thought it would have been Angela.

He gestured for to take a seat on the coach.

She smiled and did so as he sat in the adjacent chair.

There was a long silence. Both just sat there and starred anywhere but at the other.

"I ripped my canvas," she said in an almost whisper.

"What?" Booth was taken aback by the out of place comment.

"That's how I dealt. I was panting and just couldn't seem to get it right. I was _so _frustrated, not really with the painting of course, but just everything. I just sat there and ripped it to shreds before I chucked my paintbrush across the room," she clarified sifting uncomfortably.

He had to smile a little. He knew Angela would understand. He heard a soft sob escape her throat where she'd been trying to hold it.

Getting up, he went to her, letting her tear soaked face bury itself into his white tank top.

"Booth?" He heard her mumble into his shirt. She looked up and met his eyes.

Before either knew it, their lips met. All the pain, the anger, and the sorrow poured to the surface as they took refuge in the other's touch, the other's feel.

He wrapped one arm around her waist while the other tangled into her hair, bringing her body almost on top of his. He needed to feel her there. He needed the comforting touch of someone who knew the pain and torment he felt inside.

She knew. She knew about things left unsaid, thinking they had all the time in the world to say them to those who should have heard them.

Her hands began exploring underneath his top. Fingers tracing the scared marks left there from so many battles, so long ago.

The moment was pierced as the shrill cry of the phone broke them apart.

They sat there listening to the ringing and their own heavy breathing.

The answering machine picked up:

_Hey this_ _Seeley Booth. I'm not home right now so leave a message or if it's urgent you might reach me through Bones. _

**BEEP!**

The word, Bones, seemed to reverberate through the silent apartment until the caller spoke:

_"Hello, Agent Booth. I have a new deal for you. Wire the 8 million dollars you owe me to the unmarked Swiss account plus 5 million interest or Temperance Brennan and Jack Hodgins will suffocate to death this time. There is no third chance, Booth, 24 hours and counting down. I suggest you start digging."_

**BEEP!**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Oh, I can see the daggers being thrown at me now! (I hope you have bad aim) :Runs away, hides behind Booth: (ok so I just wish I could hide behind him) Don't worry this is not a BoothAngela story. But please Review they make me write faster and just generally make me happy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey thanks to everyone who read! Special thanks to all those who reviewed and/or added this to their favorites!**

Disclaimer: Wish I owned David but I sadly do not nor do I own any of the Bones universe. :Sigh:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Booth felt Angela's grip on his shirt tighten.

The synthetic voice rang through the quiet apartment.

Booth stared at the blinking light of his answering machine in a state of utter shock.

He felt a sudden shift in the couch. When he turned, he saw Angela falling to the floor. He caught her in one swift movement before she crashed to the floor. Upon inspection, he realized she'd fainted.

"I don't blame her," he mumbled to himself as he gracefully laid her upon the couch.

"Ange," he said, softly shaking her, "Angela, please, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open slightly.

"That's it," he said when she had opened them fully.

Helping her to sit up, he watched as her attention instantly went to the red blinking light on the phone stand across the room.

"Booth?"

"You collapsed," he informed her.

Her brow furrowed as she gazed more intently at the light. He could tell almost the exact moment when the memories hit her.

"Oh, my God!" she barely breathed out the words. "Brennan and Jack!"

"Alive," he confirmed.

"So why are we sitting her talking?" she bellowed scrambling for her purse. "I'll call Cam."

"I'll call the bureau," Booth remarked as he speed-dialed the Hoover building.

Booth could feel a jolt of hope fill his stomach.

They were alive.

_She_ was alive.

But no he couldn't get to overjoyed, they still had to be found.

And they would be.

He would find them.

He would find her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Agent Marcus Fillmore surveyed the scene.

The FBI special exhumation team was working away to uncover what had been found.

The construction staff had found, instead of the water pipes they'd been searching for, the top to a car.

Upon further digging they uncovered the hood.

There was a whole car buried at least six feet underground.

After it had been reported to the local police, the FBI had taking over it.

Dr. Temperance Brennan and Dr. Jack Hogins had both been buried alive by the murderer known as the Gravedigger. Neither one had been found in the week that had passed. The bureau presumed that they were dead. This car might prove them right.

The agent who worked along side them, a Seeley Booth, had taken a long leave of absence because of it. The fact that he had lost his "partner" had hit him hard.

Fillmore did not want to be the one to tell him if this was really them. He had met Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth. He did not want to look into that car and see that beautiful woman's gaunt shriveled dead face. He took Booth to be the type of man that would need to see the body to believe she was gone, and the trained agent did not want to be the one to show it to him.

Finally the car was fully uncovered and pulled from the ground by a large crane.

Fillmore walked over to it with dread filling him.

He braced himself for what he might find before slowly opening the driver's door.

What he found was: Nothing.

Nothing but a copy of Dr. Brennan's book lying on the passenger seat.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: If I owned it, this stuff would be on TV not posted here!

Booth's phone buzzed in his pocket as he drove at record breaking speeds to the Jeffersonian.

Angela sat beside him, through him a glance.

Booth reached for his phone, flipping it open. "Booth," he stated plainly.

Angela watched as he shook his head, muttering things like, "Ok" and "On our way" before hanging up.

"What's up?" she asked curiously.

He avoided her gaze. "Hold on," he warned barely in time as he took a sharp U-turn causing many to honk in outrage. He flipped on the siren and barreled down the interstate.

"Jesus, Seeley! What's going on?" she yelled in anger, adjusting herself back up into a sitting position from the jerking fit she'd just been through.

"They found Bones's car," he said his face never turning from the road. His voice held an indifference that Angela knew wasn't his true feelings. She could tell, even if she did not know him better, by the white of his knuckles against the black steering wheel.

She placed one hand over his. "Don't worry, Booth. We'll find them, this time. We have to find them."

He nodded. "Yeah." He gripped her hand tightly.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Agent Booth," said Fillmore as Booth came up behind him. "And…I don't believe we've met. Miss..?" He extended a hand to Angela.

Booth stepped in his way. "Fillmore, we're here to see the car not socialize."

Fillmore nodded retracting his hand, instead waving at the car. "This is it. We didn't find them."

Booth exhaled a breath he'd been holding.

"We did find this, however," the agent said handing Angela a copy of Brennan's book.

"Ok, and this is important because?" Angela asked turning it over. Brennan's face gazed up at her from the back cover.

Booth took the book flipping back to the front. "Open it." Fillmore instructed.

Booth shifted through the book until he fell upon a page with a bit of something stuck there. He examined it. "Looks like a piece of a sticker."

Fillmore agreed. "Our guys think it's part of a bumper sticker."

"What?" Angela remarked.

The agent turned to her. "One of the Kent boys, Dr. Brennan proved, was struck by a car."

"Yes, I know that. I was the one who set up the simulation that proved the other boy couldn't have done that to his brother," Angela retorted impatiently.

"Ah, yes, Miss Montenegro," the agent said obviously realizing who Angela was, "Well, we believe that Jack Hodgins was also struck by the same car and that that bumper sticker," he jabbed his thumb toward it, "is off the perpetrator's car."

"And that helps, how?" she asked impatiently.

"It will help us find this son of a bitch," Booth remarked holding the sticker like it was gold.

"Also," Fillmore said softly causing both Booth and Angela to lean towards him. "I know this isn't protocol but all things considered and the fact that this will help prove who did this…," Fillmore turned the pages of the open book in Booth's hands to a page where two folded pages sat. "These are notes from Dr. Hodgins and Dr. Brennan," he said handing them to the people before him. "They are addressed to you two."

Booth held the note in his hand, gazing down at the curved handwriting he recognized as Bones.

"Mine's from Hodgins," Angela remarked absentmindedly.

"Yeah," Booth said, feeling her hand grasp his tightly.

"Why don't we go sit over here?" Booth remarked, handing the book and bumper sticker back to Agent Fillmore with a soft "Thank you" before leading Angela to a tent set up beside them.

"Booth," Angela's voice held her fear, "Maybe we shouldn't."

"What do you mean, Ange?" he asked her.

"Well if they wanted to say goodbye, they'd want to be dead first. Some of this they might not want to us to know if they survive," she remarked starring down at her letter.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Booth said, his cell phone went off again. This time Cam was on the other line.

"Hey, yeah," Booth replied, listening for a minute before saying, "No, not too much." Listen. "Alright, be right there." He flipped the phone closed ending the call.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing her elbow and leading her towards his SUV. He nodded gruffly to Agent Fillmore in thanks as he pocketed Bones's note.

"What's up, Booth?" Ange asked concerned as soon as they both closed the doors to the car.

Placing his sun glasses on, he started the engine and eased back onto the dirt road before answering, "Thomas Vega and Janine O'Connell are there."

"Vega, O'Connell? The two that wrote the book on the Grave-Digger?"

"Yup that's them," he replied speeding down the now paved road towards the interstate.

"Booth," she stated in a threatening tone.

"Yes, Angela?" he said innocently.

"I know you don't like this guy, but he's just trying to help," she informed him like a mother trying to tell her son not to hit another little boy.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Booth remarked.

"Do not seek revenge on those who don't deserve it," she replied turning away to gaze out the window.

"I don't know what that means."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

**Aw, Booth used Bones's catch phrase even though he knew perfectly well what Angela meant. We're gonna see a pissed off Booth in the next chapter. His target: Vega.The search for Brennan and Hodgins continues with some new clues on who's behind it. Will they find them in time? Or will they suffocate to death, again, well not really again but you get my point! (please review they make me happy)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! Very sorry about the delay on this chapter! I experienced a little writer's block**! **Thanks for reading and the reviews!**

Disclaimer: Don't own nothing!

The black SUV screeched into the Jeffersonian museum's underground parking garage. Pulling swiftly into a parking spot, Booth killed the engine.

Angela had to practically run to match the pace he was setting once they exited the vehicle.

He was a man on a mission, and he was utterly pissed off. All his rage, angst, and frustration were aimed at one man.

Thomas Vega stood patiently awaiting them inside Cam's office. Booth barely noticed that Janine O'Connell sat on a chair facing Cam, who sat behind the desk.

With Angela hot on his tail, he burst into the office.

"Seeley!" Angela yelled fallowing him inside.

"What…," Cam shrieked in outrage.

"Age…," Vega behind but the rest came out in gagging sounds as Booth's hand took hold of his throat. He squeezed it maliciously as he lifted him from the ground, slamming him into Camille's desk. Both she and Janine jumped back in alarm. Booth's face was filled with hatred as he put his weight into his hand causing Vega's airway to constrict.

"Booth!" Seeley!" Angela screamed as she took hold of his arm, trying with all her might to pull the agent off the man. With Cam and Janine's help, they managed to get Booth off of Vega.

Vega gasped, his breathing came out in wheezes. "What…?" he managed to say through heavy breathing.

"What is the meaning of this?" Cam roared at her lover. "What is going on Seeley?"

Booth wasn't looking at any of them. He seemed content on watching Zach slaving away over a microscope than to dare glance at any of them.

"Booth, sweetie," Angela placed a hand on his arm. He heard her breath in sharply as she felt him shaking with rage. "Calm down."

He nodded more than he should have. He returned his gaze to the young assistant outside. Zach now appeared to be talking to an older gentleman. This man was dressed, like Booth, in a suit and tie. What struck Booth as strange was the fact that this man wore his sunglasses inside. He then noticed Zach nod his head and turn to point directly at Booth. The sunglasses man turned in his direction and smiled.

"Who is that man with Zach?" Booth asked never taking his eyes off of him.

"That's Agent Rodgers with the FBI special task force on the Gravedigger. He's here to….inspect us," Cam spat the last few words out malevolently as she took her seat back behind the desk.

Vega had seemed to gain normal breathing but stayed on the floor where he had collapsed.

Janine seemed to be dazed by Booth's actions but did nothing but sit patiently while he calmed himself.

"What are we going to do?" Booth asked breaking the silence he had created.

"About Rodgers?"

"No," Booth snapped, "About Brennan and Hodgins."

"Oh," Cam said gesturing to Vega, "Mr. Vega seems to have an idea. If you, Booth, can restrain yourself long enough for him to tell us," she added spitefully.

Booth felt his face flush in embarrassment. He nodded curtly.

Vega, massaging his neck, got to his feet. "Well," he wheezed, "You said that the Cantilever group would not give up the money without proof of life?"

Booth turned to stare at the man. "Yes, so?"

Vega smiled. "Does anyone know how to use Photoshop?"

All eyes turned to Angela.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"I shouldn't be apart of this," Booth remarked as they stood over the computer watching Angela at work. "This is illegal."

Vega shot him a disdainful look. "I thought you wanted to get Dr. Brennan and Hodgins back, Agent Booth?"

Booth's jaw muscle tightened. "Do you wish to keep breathing, Mr. Vega?"

The former agent turned away from him focusing on the image Angela was distorting. She was turning a picture of two kidnapped prisoners into a picture of a kidnapped Brennan and Hodgins. It was harden than one would think. To make it look real took a careful hand, one slip up could ruin the whole thing.

If Angela succeeded, they were going to hand this over to the Cantilever group to show that their boss was still alive so they would pay the now 10 million dollars to the Gravedigger. Without this, they would be back to square one: nothing.

_How does one defeat the invisible? _Booth asked himself in frustration.

"Booth!" a enrage roar came from behind them. Agent Rodgers came storming toward them.

Booth put a hand on Angela's shoulder warning her. Upon his touch, she immediately switched the screen of her computer off.

"What are you doing?" Rodgers shouted in Booth's face.

"We're trying to save our friends," Booth replied calmer than he had just been.

"No, what you're doing is against the law and I'll have to arrest you for it." He reached to handcuff Booth, but his fellow agent jerked away.

Before anyone could stop him, Booth punched the older agent in the jaw. Rodgers fell backward in surprise his sunglasses clattered to the floor.

"How dare you?" he screamed clutching his jaw line. "I'll have your badge for this!"

"Here!" Booth roared throwing his badge down at the agent with force, "You can have it!" He went to hit the agent again but missed as Rodgers scrambled to his feet and fled from the room.

All eyes were on Booth at that moment. He was breathing heavily from rage. He turned to glare at all of them.

"What?" he snapped. There was a collective mumble of a reply which Booth hardly heard as he stormed out of the room to calm himself.

Letting his feet guide him, he came upon Bones's office. He opened the door tentatively. It had been left untouched just as if she had been here seconds before. The only thing new in the place was a thick lair of dust culminating on everything.

Booth felt tears at the back of his eyes as he took a seat behind her desk. The room smelled of her and it was driving him insane. Leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes allowing memories of her to flood his mind.

Sighing sadly, he realized that the altered photo might not have been the greatest idea, neither was pissing off Agent Rodgers, but he couldn't sit by and do nothing while she and Hodgins suffocated.

Trying to form some sort of plan in his mind, he came up with nothing. There were no new clues. Angela had tried to piece together an image from the bumper sticker but had failed. Zach couldn't isolate the type of aluminum found on the bodies. They were as one would say "up the creek without a paddle" or as he preferred "shit out of luck".

Taking in a deep breath as he tried to capture her scent once more, he rose to leave. Just as he reached for the door handle, there was a ring from behind him.

He turned. The phone shook as it rang once more.

_Who would be calling her office?_ Booth didn't understand. As it rang again, his hand hovered over the receiver. On the forth, he lifted it from its base to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Agent Booth?" the voice on the other side asked. It was obviously male.

"Yes?" Booth pushed the phone harder on his ear to hear the man better.

What the man told him next stunned the experienced FBI agent.

"Please hurry, Booth, and take care of her," the man who Booth's mind had finally placed said.

"Mr. Brennan?"

He heard a laugh. "Go to her, Booth. I've told you where she is now, go!" He heard a click and the line went dead.

Booth stood there with the telephone receiver still hovering on his ear.

Bones's father had just called him and told him her location.

_How would he even know that? _Booth's brain demanded to know.

Suddenly he realized he was still in the room. Brennan and Hodgins were running out of air and there he stood rooted to the spot.

Without bothering to hang the phone up, he rushed out.

_I'm coming!_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Like? Disliked? Please review and tell me! Obviously the Photoshop thing is kinda stupid but it was to show how desperate they were to find them and that they had run out of ideas (or maybe cause I ran out of them!!!). What did you think of Bones's dad calling Booth and knowing where she was? A twist not many expected I'm sure! HEHEHE**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello to all! Happy New Year! 2007, woot! And to start off this newest of years, I give you more ff! **

Disclaimer: Ok this is for not only this chapter but for all fallowing ones just because I'm tired of typing them! I DON" T OWN IT!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temperance Brennan opened her eyes, or at least she thought she had. Everything around her was blackness. Had she died? No, of course not. She did not believe in an afterlife. She was still breathing. She was alive.

"Hodgins?" she called out. There was no answer.

Gazing into the darkness, she searched her surroundings with her hand. Whatever she was in was lined with padding and not very large. It was just a little longer than her body. She realized with dread building up in her that her head rested neatly on a pillow. Horror filled her as she realized where she was: a coffin.

No. Booth hadn't reached her in time. She would suffocate in this tomb. Dead and never to be found, something she had feared.

A faith she never knew she had rose inside of her. No not faith. She did not have faith but she knew Booth would do anything to reach her. He would save her. He had to save her.

She knew, as the lid of her prison creaked loudly and bent in as if the dirt wished to claim her that much sooner, that she was lying to herself.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Booth drove over a hundred miles an hour down the car pool line of the highway, the lights on the dash of his SUV swirled blindingly accompanied by the blare of the siren warning all to stay away.

Angela twitched beside him as he recklessly crossed three lanes of traffic, barreling down the exit ramp.

Cam and Zach were all fallowing in their own car, though far behind the crazed agent.

Booth sharply turned down a dirt road, barreling down it for miles until screeching to a halt beside a large strip of deserted land very similar to the quarry where the car was found.

Angela jumped as Booth slammed his fists on the steering wheel, cursing loudly as he gawked at the large area of land around them. It was practically impossible to find them in all this!

He felt a soothing hand on his shoulder and gripped it for support.

With a deep breath, he killed the engine and stepped out of the car.

The rest of the team pulled up behind them. Cam and Zach stepped out of her car. The FBI dig team had begun to assemble their equipment. Even, to Booth's horror, Vega and Janine were here.

After hours of searching with various forms of equipment too complicated for him to understand, Booth kicked the dirt in frustration sending a rock tumbling down a small hill. He watched it as it came to a halt below him beside something that caught his eye. It shown in the afternoon sunlight. Traipsing down the hill, he picked it up curiously, wiping away the dirt. It was a necklace, one he was very familiar with. In the shape of a bone, with the word BONES written in the center, the piece had been a present to bones for her birthday.

"Over here!" he yelled waving his hands in the air.

Angela was the first to meet him. Handing her the necklace, he smiled brightly.

The team swooped in with sonar running it across the ground. They nodded, agreeing that something was down there, six feet to be exact.

An excavator was brought in to remove most of the dirt leaving at least a foot for them to dig by shovel.

Booth dug frantically with his bare hands trying desperately to reach her.

Workers came up behind with shovels making the process go quicker. It seemed like hours before he heard the clunk of the shovel hitting something.

Booth snatched a tool from a near by worker and furiously dug at the dirt until the lid of, he gulped hard at the site, a coffin was completely uncovered. It was warped and deformed from the pressure it had been under. He and the crew took hold of it heaving it out of the ground.

Booth saw the workers had reached another coffin right next to this one.

He prepared himself for what may lie beneath as he ripped open the lid.

There she lay, pale and underfeed, but from the steady rise and fall of her chest, very much alive.

He scooped her up into his arms setting her slowly onto the ground.

Then she barely opened her eyes to look at him. He smiled at her.

"Hey, Bones," he said tucking the stray hairs from her face behind her ear.

"Seeley?" Booth was taken aback by her use of his first name.

"Yeah, Temperance, it's me," he told her smiling like a kid on Christmas morning.

"What took you so long?" she whispered closing her eyes again.

He laughed heartily. No matter what happened, she always found a way to be a smart ass.

"Sorry, Bones. It won't happen again," he said as the ambulance pulled up.

"Promise?" she asked her voice scratchy as he took her into his arms and carried her to the waiting stretcher.

"I promise." He kissed her lightly on the forehead as he laid her upon the gurney. He stepped through the ambulance doors behind the stretcher determined not to let Temperance out of his sight again.

Before the doors closed, Booth caught a glimpse of Hodgins being wheeled away with Angela hot on his heels.

He smiled to himself.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Hodgins?"

"They got him out he's gonna be fine," he reassured her.

Her eyes were still closed and she was groggy. "Good," she said falling into sleep.

He hadn't realized he'd been crying until he felt the salty taste hitting his lips.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Review please! If only because you love me or the story at least! Thank you btw for all the other lovely reviews! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Temperance laid in the hospital bed groggily floating in and out of sleep. She felt him beside her. Opening her eyes, she saw him slumped over in his chair, his head resting on the bed. Smiling she placed a soft hand on his head, stroking his hair with affection.

He stirred but did not rise. His snores came softly as he grumbled incoherently.

"Seeley," she whispered caressing his face, admiring the slight stubble growing there.

"Hmm?" he mumbled still half asleep.

"Come on Seeley," she said, "Wake up."

Booth's eyes wrenched open. Gazing up at her, his eyes filled with happy tears.

"Bones!" the word came out in a gasp as he embraced her. "I thought you'd….died. We all had! I'm….sorry….so sorry!"

Temperance smiled at his clinginess. He blamed himself for not finding her, she knew. "It's alright, Booth. It's not your fault."

"It is Temperance. It's all my fault. If I had been there, if I had thought, if…," Booth's babble ceased when she put a hand over his mouth.

"Seeley, please," she said smiling up at him, "There was no way you could have prevented this."

He nodded but did not seem to believe that this was not totally his mistake.

She gripped his hand, tightly.

"God, Bones. I missed you," he told her absentmindedly stroking her hair.

She breathed in his musky smell as she clung to him, never wanting to let go. She felt the tears as they rolled down her face.

There was so much she wanted to say to him when she was down in that tomb, but she couldn't seem to make her mouth move and the words to form now that he stood before her.

Finally she loosened her grip on him, allowing room for him to break contact. He didn't budge. He seemed very content on holding her, which was fine with her. They stayed like that embracing one another, both with tears in their eyes, until they heard the soft clearing of a throat.

Opening her tear ridden eyes, Temperance saw a young woman standing in the doorway leaning against the wall.

"Hey, Ange," she said moving away from Booth and smiling at her best friend.

"Sweetie," Angela said practically sprinting towards the bed. Gathering her up into a hug, Angela gripped her like life depended on it. Bren could hear her quietly crying.

"It's alright," Temperance said stroking her back, "I'm alright."

She felt Ange nod into her shoulder. Booth got up and helped the hysterical woman to sit.

"How's Hodgins?"

Angela smiled through the tears. "He's fine. Don't worry, he woke up before you did, I've already been to see him."

"That's great!"

There was a long uncomfortable silence that followed. Bren was the first to break it.

"How's work been?" She looked expectantly from Booth to Angela.

"Um…," Booth murmured avoiding her eyes while sifting nervously.

Angela looked down. "Well…"

"Couldn't be _that_ bad!" Bren tried to reason.

No one said anything.

There was a knock on the door as Cam and Zach appeared there.

Brennan gasped as she saw the condition Zach was in, his eyes bloodshot with dark circles under them. He was as thin as a rail, his clothes hanging off him loosely.

He managed a smile that seemed to give him the look of the old Zach.

Her attention diverted to Cam, who was looking uncharacteristically casual. She wore jeans with a plain blue t-shirt and sneakers. Her hair was nonchalantly tossed into a bun, and she wore little make-up.

What had happened to her team? Had Hodgins and her own supposed "deaths" had that great an effect on them?

"What's been going on?" Brennan prodded them for information.

All of them looked away.

"Come on, someone!"

Booth sighed loudly. "Alright, I'll tell you, but it's a long story."

She almost laughed. Waving a hand at the bed, she replied, "It's not as though I'm going anywhere."

And so he began.

**------------------------------------------------------------**

**Reviews? Please and thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok so I shamefully hang my head. Two months is a long time away. I am shame faced. But I'm back with a fairly long chapter to make up a bit. Hope you enjoy.**

"Well, let me start off with the fact that we have been an absolute wreck without you two," Booth began, smiling charmingly.

Brennan laughed. "Oh come on, really?"

Cam spoke up. "It's true, Dr. Brennan. The lab seemed….rather empty without you and Hodgins."

Temperance was taken aback. She had not realized she or Hodgins had had that kind of effect on the people around them.

"Yes, well," Booth chimed back in, "We were falling apart. Goodman wanted to assign new members to the team, which he eventually did. None of them lasted more than a day."

"He was furious with us for driving them off," Angela said casting a look at Booth, "but he understood our grief."

"So…," Temperance began, "Is that all?"

"Um…well, not exactly," Booth said avoiding her gaze. "I don't think I'll be your partner any more."

"What! Why?" she exclaimed. Why wouldn't Booth want to be her partner anymore? She couldn't see doing her job without him.

"Well, um, I kind of…," he stammered.

"Punched another agent because he tried to stop us when we were trying to fake a photo of you and Hodgins to give to the Cantilever group as the evidence they needed to prove you were alive so they'd send the money," Angela finished, saying all of it very quickly.

"Oh….," was all Tempe could muster. Booth still wanted to be her partner but the Bureau might not let him. "You were willing to lose your job for me?"

Booth shrugged. "If it meant getting you…both of you back, then absolutely."

"I'm….touched. Thank you," she said catching his eye. They gazed at each other until Angela cleared her throat.

"Um…yes well," she said smiling at the two of them. "You need your rest. Maybe the rest of us should go."

She got up and hugged her best friend. Heading for the door, she turned to ask, "Coming guys?"

Zach stood, smiling at Brennan before joining Ange. Cam was starring suspiciously from Booth to Brennan.

"Cam?"

"Coming," she said finally rising to her feet and exiting the room with the others.

Booth went to join them, but Brennan called him back.

"Please, Booth," she called to him, making him turn to look at her. His gaze was so intense; she found it hard to breathe. "Don't leave."

He nodded and sat back down in the chair beside her bed.

"What else happened, Booth? I feel like your not telling me everything," she said accusingly.

"I'm not," he told her the truth. "But…if you really want to know…"

"I do."

He looked up at her. "You had a funeral, you know."

"What?" The statement shocked her.

"Russ wanted to say goodbye in a more proper way. The grave is beside your mother's."

"Oh, wow," she remarked. "What does my tombstone say?"

"In loving remembrance."

"Oh."

He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"There's more. You're not going to like it," he warned as much with eyes as he did with the words.

Bren nodded. "I'm ready. Tell me."

"You want to know how we found you? Your father called me and told me where you were."

"My father?"

Booth nodded. "I don't know how he knew but he told me. And you wanna know something?"

Temperance looked at him.

"I'm grateful. I don't know if we would have reached you in time, if not," he said with pure emotion in his voice.

She placed her other hand over his. They sat in silence for a while, and Tempe let the news sink in.

"Anything else?"

"Well I almost killed Thomas Vega."

"Excuse me?" Her eyes were filled with shock.

"I wanted revenge, and I took the wrong outlet to take it out on," he said his head bowed in shame.

Temperance moved her hand from his to place it on his jaw line.

His eyes met hers and held her gaze.

She leaned forward drawn in by the love she saw in his eyes, but instead of leaning towards her, he turned away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No, Bones, don't say that. This is really cliché but it's not you it's me," he said not quite meeting her gaze.

"I don't know what that means," she said making him chuckle.

"I've missed you saying that," he remarked.

"You're avoiding," she said eyebrows raised in an accusatory way.

"You're right. I am," he said with a sad smile, "It's just…I've wanted this for so long…but it's so much more complicated now."

"How so?" she asked trying hard to control her racing heartbeat.

"It's just…there's Cam to deal with and then…," he couldn't make himself tell her.

"What, Booth?"

"Well….Angela and I….well…I felt lost and trap. I had all this anger and grief inside me, and I needed to know someone felt the same. I needed the comfort Angela offered…" he admitted starring at his shoes.

Brennan hoped he did not mean what she thought he meant. "Please, tell me you didn't sleep with each other?"

Booth head shot up. "No, no, it didn't go that far."

"How far did it go?"

He sighed. "Not passed kissing."

Brennan nodded. "Ok."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Cam?" Booth came up behind the woman who sat in the waiting room of the hospital.

She didn't look at him just continued to stir her coffee.

"Cam, please, look at me," he said coming to sit beside her.

She looked over at him finally meeting his eye. "It's alright. I know what you're going to say. Be with her. I know that's what you want, and all I want is for you to be happy, Seeley."

He sighed in relief. "Thank you, Camille. I know you'll find someone far better than me who will love you as you should be loved."

He got to his feet giving her shoulder a squeeze.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ange?"

Angela looked up at her best friend guiltily.

"Don't worry, Angela. I'm not mad about it. I understand it actually. Both you and Booth are very physical people so in grief you sought out the physical comfort the other provided. Plus I mean I'm not with Booth or anything," Temperance reassured her friend.

"I know, sweetie, and I'm happy you understand. It's just that I know you want to be with him, and he is dieing to be with you. I don't want you to think that it was anything more than comfort," she told the anthropologist.

The two woman hugged one another. "I know, Ange."

Tempe noticed Booth was back, standing in the doorway watching them.

Pulling away from Angela, she waved Booth in.

"I think I'll excuse myself," Ange said walking past Booth, whom she gave a wink, and out of the room.

"It's alright, Booth. I'm not going to bite your head off," Bones assured him patting the now empty seat beside her bed.

He sat down there and starred at her.

"What?" she asked smiling.

He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Nothing, I just can't believe how beautiful you look even in a hospital gown."

Bones blushed. "You're just trying to get on my good side."

Booth laughed. "That may be true, but so is what I said."

She turned an even brighter red.

"Oh, I meant to give you this back," he said digging into his pocket. He pulled out the necklace he had given her for her birthday.

She took hold of it examining it. "I thought I'd lost it in all this."

She hoped he wouldn't ask her about what had happened. She wasn't ready to talk about it, and even if she was, she didn't remember much.

Booth, however, seemed to be content on not asking about it. "It helped me find you."

Bones looked up, but did not ask what that meant. Instead she found herself caught up in a passionate kiss.

When they broke apart, she asked, "Please stay here tonight….I don't want to be alone."

He nodded.

She moved over to make room for him on the bed. He laid down beside her, and she fell asleep with her head resting on his chest, her body in his arms.

**Good? Bad? I will not make you wait two more months before I write again. I will write even if I have to force myself (unless its rubbish and I'll save you all from having to read it). Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

"_Temperance," the voice taunted her as it brushed the hair from her face._

_She tried to move, to lash out, but found she could do nothing. Nothing but lie there and hope that this monster would leave her be._

_"Don't worry, Temperance," the voice said in an almost chuckling fashion, "You'll be seeing your partner real soon. That is unless he doesn't dig you up in time."_

_She mentally struggled to make herself move but her body did not seem to respond._

"_You see, I feel as though this game has only begun, that not all the pieces have been set correctly. I need a bigger board, a bigger stake. I find you far too interesting to have you die so soon. I pray that your agent finds you, and I'm almost certain that he will. He seems to have that annoying tendency to be in the right place at the right time. So I hope he finds you, because as far as I'm concerned this game has just begun and the stakes are more than just your life. So sleep tight and if you do awake to a new day then beware this warning, I am not done with you yet, Temperance Brennan, far from it. Now I suggest you hold your breath." _

_Temperance felt the sting of a needle pressing into her neck vein. And then there was nothing, but the constant thudding sound as if something was being buried. _

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temperance screamed.

Booth was jolted awake by it. His first instinct was to pull her closer to him. Breathing heavily, she allowed him to hold her as she sank into his chest.

"Sh…," he soothed caressing her hair. "Breathe, breathe."

She inhaled, closing her eyes.

"That's better," he said holding her closer. Kissing the top of her head, he closed his eyes trying to hold onto the memory of holding her. Opening them, he asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

Temperance took a sharp intake of breath. "No….not yet."

"Ok."

She looked up, obviously confused.

"I'll wait until you're ready to talk. I'll wait for you as long as it takes," he said his eyes filled with such emotion that it touched her deeply.

"Thank you, Booth," she whispered laying her head on his chest. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her and hold her closely.

Soon she felt the slight rise and fall of his chest as his breathing slowed with sleep. She cherished this moment to just watch him. He looked so peaceful, venerable even. At this moment, looking at his face, she could not remember any of the reason she hadn't told him how she felt. None of that seem to matter much anymore.

There was a quite knock on the door as Angela came in.

She smiled at the sight of them like that.

Brennan gestured for her to come in.

"Is he asleep?"

"Not anymore," he grumbled sifting in the bed, pulling Temperance closer to him in the process.

"Didn't mean to wake you, Booth," Angela said with a laugh.

"It's too late for that," he said, his eyes still shut.

"Ok fine, then I won't tell you that Bren was cleared, and we can take her home anytime," she said in a huff, turning away.

Both Booth and Brennan's eyes flew open. "WHAT?"

Angela smiled. "You've been cleared. We can get ya outta here!"

"What are we waiting for people?" Booth said practically carrying Bones out of bed. "Let's getta you outta here!"

"I'm all for it."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ride from the hospital to Bren's apartment was a silent one. All parties were tired and ready to just get back to a normal routine. Normal, of course, would be much different now.

Booth insisted on carrying Bones up the stairs. She protested profusely, and only stopped struggling so he would not drop her.

Angela was giggling as she followed the duo up the stairs.

"Set me down, Booth!" Temperance demanded once they arrived at her door. He did.

Fiddling with her keys, she found the right one and opened her door. Booth hit the lights.

The keys hit the floor with a jingle.

Brennan looked in horror at the state of her home.

The curtains had been ripped. The walls and carpet were smeared with red.

And hanging from the slowly spinning ceiling fan was a body. It was the bruised, beaten, duck-taped form of Zach Addy.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**I'm slightly evil, no? Please R & R **


	10. Chapter 10

Temperance stumbled forward desperate to reach Zach.

As she stepped into the living room, her foot connected with something. The object rolled across the floor till it hit something which caused a chain reaction of rings to emanate through the apartment. The sound reminded Brennan of wind chimes.

Angela gasped.

Littering the floor were what had to be hundreds upon hundreds of needles. Booth instinctively grabbed Brennan pulling her back.

There seemed to Brennan's growing fear, to be no way to reach her young assistant. She struggle out of Booth's grasps to open a nearby needle-free closet. Pulling out a broom, she began to sweep a pathway through the sharp terrain.

When she reached Zach, she turned to Booth. "Can you get him down?"

Booth nodded. Removing his gun from its holster, he aimed at the lair of duck tape holding Zach up. He shot it off.

Angela and Brennan tried to break Zach's fall as much as possible, but he still crashed to the floor.

Unraveling the duck tape around his mouth and chest, Temperance saw the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He was still alive. As she and Angela removed more and more of the tape, they revealed his shirt which was stained with blood. The blood seemed to spell something. Brennan cast an uneasy look at Booth before opening Zach's shirt. Carved in Zach's flesh, were the words: Dig it?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red.

Blue.

White.

The lights of the ambulances danced over Temperance Brennan's face, but she did not really see them. Her gaze was that of someone lost in another world entirely. Booth hoped beyond hope that this event wouldn't make her lost forever.

"Bones…," he whispered placing a hand on her trembling arm.

She turned quickly as a whip. "Booth…"

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized trying to convey to her how sorry he truly was not just for scarring her.

She opened her mouth to say something but the words would not form instead tears stained her face. She collapsed into his arms.

This scarred Booth far beyond anything else for the Dr. Temperance Brennan he knew was strong and never broke down like this.

"It's gonna be alright, Tempe," he soothed rubbing her back.

She pushed him away so fast he almost fell off the chair. "No, Booth, it isn't going to be OKAY!" she said angrily, her voice rising with every word she said. "This maniac buried Hodgins and me. Now he's targeting my friends. Who's next? Angela? Maybe even Cam? Or….." She stopped.

"Me?" he stated matter-of-factly, shifting up in his chair to gaze at her steadily.

"Well….yes," she said casting her eyes downward. "I can't lose you…any of you….your my family. I've already lost one of those. I don't plan on loosing another."

Before he could say anything, she was up and moving down the exam hall.

"Where are you going?" he called to her, getting up from his chair.

She turned for a second. "No, sit, wait to hear about Zach. I'll be back soon. I've got to see Hodgins."

She left him there…alone….waiting….something she seemed to do to him plenty recently.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Brennan reached Hodgins's door, it was cracked open. Knocking, she pushed the door all the way.

Angela looked up from where she sat beside Hodgins's bed. She smiled sleepily at her.

Moving into the room, Brennan stood over her friends.

"Hey, sweetie," Ange greeted, "how you holding up?"

"I'm alright," she told her, "But I have a favor to ask of you."

"Alright," she said expectantly sitting up in her chair.

"Can you leave Jack and me for a bit?" Bren said uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other. "I just….really need to talk to him."

Her friend's face grew concerned.

"Don't worry…I just need to…please, Ange," she pleaded.

"Ok," the artist agreed, turning to a sleeping Jack. She kissed his lips in a silent goodbye, gave Brennan a hug, and exited the room.

"Hey, Temperance." Jack's voice startled her. His eyes where barely open, but he was awake.

"Hey, Jack," she said taking a seat on the chair beside his bed. "I didn't realize you where awake."

Jack shrugged.

"Are you going to get out soon?" she asked politely.

"Yeah, the Doc said I needed to build up my strength a bit more from all that loss of blood," he replied looking at her. "But that's not what you're here to talk about now is it?"

"No…it's not."

Jack nodded. "You want to talk about being buried."

She nodded.

"Ok."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Thanks for reading and all those reviews from last time! See I didn't kill Zach so don't freak out, but who knows maybe someone will die. MUHAHAHA Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Seeley Booth paced. It was something he'd always been good at: waiting and pacing.

When the doctor came down the hallway, he tensed at what he was about to hear. He shouldn't be the one to be told anything on Zach. He barely knew him and now his medical wellbeing was in Booth's hands.

"We're going to need to operate," the doctor said looking Booth squarely in the eye, "Has the family been contacted?"

"Uh…," Booth stuttered. The truth was he had no idea.

Suddenly he heard a loud yelling in a voice he recognized immediately. Smiling slightly, he saw Angela storming down the hallway, a bag of food in hand and a nurse in toe.

"Go to get some food and you tell me that only family is allowed past this point," she rambled off coming to a halt beside Booth. She threw the bag into his arms before turning on her heels to face the petite woman nurse. Leaning down to be right in front of the woman's face, she said calmly, "You really don't want to try and stop me from being up here. There's no point unless you really want your ass meeting the floor." With that she turned to the bewildered looks of Booth and Zach's doctor. "What'd I miss?"

"Zach going to have to get surgery," Booth filled her in, "Did someone call his family?"

"Yeah," Angela answered, "I did. His parents are flying out on the next available flight."

"Alright," the doctor said writing something on his clipboard. "I'll keep you posted." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Angela said. "You didn't tell us why he needs surgery."

"Oh….uh," the doctor said looking uncomfortable. "You won't like what you hear."

"Go for it," Booth said, "Can't be as bad as some of the stuff we've seen."

"Alright, well, it seems the perpetrator forced Mr. Addy to ingest over a hundred needles," he said giving them a sympathetic look, "We'll do everything we can for him. Don't worry." He turned and left the pair.

They looked at each other stunned.

This had to be one of the worst things Booth had ever heard anyone being forced to do even with all that he'd seen. Maybe it was just too real now that it was someone he knew.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't remember much," Hodgins said sifting in his bed so he could sit up, "What I do remember is dropping down into this large…well now I know what it was….but anyway I heard footsteps and cried out to them. Then I heard a cold laughter and that damn synthetic voice telling me that it was no use….that I was dead."

"Any idea about who it was?" Brennan asked.

"None," he answered, "It was too dark. I didn't get a good look at a face or even a profile really."

She nodded.

He looked at her nervously. "What exactly are you looking for? I mean there isn't much I can really tell you."

Brennan sighed. She wasn't sure _she _knew what she was looking for. She just wanted something…..anything, a sign, a slip up, anything to point them toward who ever this maniac was. "I'm sorry, Jack. I just feel so helpless sitting around waiting for something to happen to the people I care about." She got up from the chair to face the wall, trying to hide her tearing eyes. "I just want to catch this BASTERD!" She punched the wall in frustration.

A sound of a clearing throat behind her made her turn. Angela had returned with Booth in toe.

"They're taking Zach into surgery," Booth informed her. Worry was set behind his eyes. "Can I talk to Temperance?"

She looked down debating on whether or not to let him. There was a fierce battle raging inside her, one that made her angry and sad.

Booth took her silence as a yes. Grasping her elbow, he led her from the room, down the hall to what seemed to be an unoccupied utility closet.

Closing the door behind them, Booth calmly watched her pace back and forth in the room. "Temperance!" He grabbed her mid-stride causing her to fall into him. "Sorry," he muttered letting go of her.

Taking a deep breath, she faced him. "I don't know if I can do this Booth."

"Do what exactly?" he asked moving forward to comfort her.

She moved away. "This….everything….I'm afraid to go to sleep at night just to wake up and find myself back in that coffin. I'm afraid to get into my car by myself for fear of being kidnapped." Her eyes began to run with tears as she hugged herself trying to keep it together. "I can't stand the thought that my father could somehow be involved in all this, and I especially can't stand the fact that one day I could come into to work and none of you will be there. You'll all be gone and it will have been my fault!"

Booth stepped forward wrapping his arms around her small shaky frame, allowing her body to sink into him for support.

"Sh…." He tried to sooth, stroking her hair tenderly. He kissed to top of her head lightly, breathing in the scent of her.

She turned in his arms to gaze up into his face. He looked down at her with the loving devotion that she always felt from him. Stroking her face with his hand, he leaned down and placed a tantalizing kiss on her tear soaked lips.

"One thing, you don't have to worry about is me, Temperance," he said reassuringly. He placed a kiss on each of her eyelids. "I _will _protect you, and I _will_ always be here for you. You can count on that."

She nodded unable to speak. He leaned down and kissed her again. She just melted into it, allowing him to comfort her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Heheheeh…..ok so sorry about the REALLY long wait…..i moved and it was just a nightmare how busy I was….so again I'm sorry….but anyway here's the story.**

"Ms. Brennan?" the voice was kind as it tried to wake her.

"That's doctor," she muttered before she fully knew where she was.

"My apologies…Dr. Brennan," the Doctor said smiling kindly at her as she sifted away from Booth's sleeping form. They'd fallen asleep in the waiting room, awaiting news on Zach. Instantly Temperance was awake.

"What is it, Doctor? Is Zach alright?" her voice was firm yet desperate.

She felt an arm wrap around her body. Booth had awoken. He smiled at her, supportingly.

"Mr. Addy is going to be alright," the Doctor reassured flipping through a chart. "The damage to his organs was extensive, but we luckily got all the internal bleeding under control. After we removed the needles, we repaired the tears in his stomach and as luck would have it none of the stomach acid escaped into the rest of his body as we feared. He's not going to be moving around anytime soon, but he's alive. He's one lucky guy."

Temperance sighed, sinking into Booth. "Thank you."

The Doctor nodded before turning.

"When can we see him?" Temperance called.

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at her. "Not tonight, he needs his rest. We'll let you know when you can see him."

Temperance nodded resting her head on Booth's chest. He set his head onto of hers, kissing it lightly as he absently stroked her hair.

Brennan closed her eyes, falling easily into a calm drifting state.

She was awoken after what felt like only minutes by a sharp ringing piercing the chilled hospital air.

"Hello?" She heard Booth whisper.

She was being shaken awake. "Hmmm?"

"Temperance," Booth's voice tickled in her ear. "Wake up, Temperance."

She opened her eyes. Booth sat there looking at her intently. She immediately she feared for Zach. Seeing this Booth said calmly, "It's not Zach. There's someone on the phone for you."

Her forehead crinkled in confusion. Who would be calling her at….she glanced at the clock….one o'clock in the morning?

"It's you're father."

"My…..what?" she exclaimed grabbing the phone from Booth's hand.

Placing it up to her ear, she inhaled sharply before speaking. "Dad?"

"Hey, Tempe! It's good to hear you're voice….I thought….well I thought Booth might not make it on time. Should've never doubted him," her father's voice rambled on. She was too numb to hear him, too numb to think.

"Tempe?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine except I haven't seen or heard from you in over 16 years with the exception of that message on my answering machine. I'm just a little surprised that you even knew Booth's number or that you'd know who Booth was or that I would be with him!" she rambled off almost incoherently.

"Well, honey, I'd like to explain all that if you'll give me a chance. Can we meet somewhere?"

Brennan froze. She glanced at Booth who was starring at her with love in his eyes. "I don't know, Dad. I mean you abandoned me and Russ. I've never really forgiven you for that except ya know when I thought you were dead. And what about Mom? What happened? I mean I helped ID her body last year. How did she die? Did McVicker really do it?" She couldn't seem to stop the flow of questions coming from her mouth.

"Tempe, slow down, I can explain all of that….when we meet."

"Fine, I'll meet with you." Booth's eyebrows rose high on his forehead.

"Where?" she asked taking out a pen and paper from her purse as he said the address. "Ok, I'll be there. Bye."

She closed the phone handing it back to Booth. At first she wouldn't meet his gaze, but slowly she looked up into his brown eyes and saw only love starring back at her. Smiling she pulled him towards her. "Where did we leave off?"

**Good, Bad, Hate me? Please review! Next chapter: Brennan meets with her dad and gets answers and the Gravedigger strikes again…..will not take THAT long to write again!!!!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Dad?" Temperance asked cautiously stepping towards the man who was casually leaning against a tree, his face blocked by a fifties gangster style hat. He was standing directly in front of her mother's grave sight just as he said he would be, starring down at it intensely.

"She was a good woman...your mother," he remarked his voice registering from dusty memories of old stories long since forgotten and a recent chilling memory of a warning played over her answering machine.

For the first time, he looked up at her, the hat lifting to reveal his face. It had changed over the long years, not only from age, but with her trained eye, Brennan could spot the surgery which had reshaped his jaw line, elongated his nose, and flatten out his cheeks. His eyes, however, and that smile, those were the true marks that this man truly was the same man she remembered to be her father.

"Hello, Temperance," he greeted, pushing himself off the tree so he stood straight up before her. He moved closer to her, twitching slightly, as though debating whether physical touch would okay with her.

She decided for him, throwing herself at him and engluffing him in a fierce hug. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as sobs overtook her small frame.

Brennan could hear Booth's shoes as they shifted towards her then hesitated. He didn't want to break up the moment shared between father and daughter that had been denied for over a decade.

Moving away from her father's embrace, she glanced back at Booth, her eyes still swimming with tears but an evident smile planted on her face. "It's okay, Booth," she assured him. "You can come closer."

Turning back to her father, she waved a hand toward her partner. "Dad," she began, "This is my partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"Partner, eh?" he said moving toward Booth, offering a hand. Booth took it shaking it, both men squeezing the other's hand as they gaged their strength. "You taking good care of my daughter, Agent Booth?"

Booth laughed, especially when Brennan's face turned angry. "I don't need to sir. She can take care of herself," he remarked, winking as he saw the surprise written on her face, "but I do what I can when she needs me."

"Which is never," she mumbled.

"What was that, Bones?" Booth quipped, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and squeezing it gently.

She shot him a look.

Mr. Brennan started to laugh, turning both the younger people's attention to him. "You two remind me of me and your mother, Tempe," he told them laughter growing.

The partners glanced at each other, their faces redding slightly at the implication. They moved out of the other's embrace, leaving a good amount of space between them. Brennan felt a sense of loss when his warmth was replaced by the cool breeze. "We're not like that, dad," she assured him, "We're just partners."

Max Brennan looked confused. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just.."

"Assumed," Temperance interjected, nodding, "It's okay. It happens all the time."

Booth nodded, briefly. From all their years of partnership, Brennan could see that he was agitated. _Probably hates the thought of us being together that way_, she remarked to herself, before turning to face her father once again. Their soft kisses inside the hospital closet seemingly forgotten.

Max watched the two's exchange interestingly. So Tempe's found someone but couldn't admit it, eh? He chuckled. Like mother, like daughter, neither could admit it when they wanted something so badly that it scarred them. Lucky for him, Christine had. He only hoped that Temperance wouldn't take too long to tell Booth about her feelings for him.

"I believe we're here for something perhaps beside a lovely family reunion are we not?" Max remarked changing the subject.

The pair before him relaxed when the focus was not on their relationship.

"What is it exactly that you know, sir?" Booth shot the question out before Brennan could bombard the man with all the question that were swirling in her mind. She shot him a cross look.

"Enough, Agent Booth," Max replied cryptically. He reached inside his pocket causing Booth to tense habitually, hand drifting toward his gun. Brennan elbowed him, giving him a stern look. "Don't worry, I'm not going for a gun, just this." Max held out a small bumper sticker in his hand. It read: _Elstein Publishing House PA: B LOT: 4 SPACE: 110_

"A parking sticker?"

"I believe you're friend...the artist...will be able to match this up with the piece of sticker that was found in Dr. Hodgins's leg," Max said with conviction, handing the delicate paper over to his daughter.

She looked at him in disbelief. "How did you find this?"

Her father just smiled, lifting a hand he placed it on her cheek lovingly. "You don't need to know that. All that matters is that you have it."

Her eyes narrowed at that, and she was going to protest before Booth spoke. "This is the publisher of the Grave Digger novel. Who would have this pass?"

The partners shared a look before Booth's anger boiled his blood. "Vega..." he growled. "I _KNEW_ it was _HIM_!!" He then began to storm off toward his awaiting SUV.

"Booth, WAIT!!" Brennan yelled after him.

He could barely even hear her over the rushing sound now filling his ears, the sound of a man with a purpose to kill. He had felt this sensation before with many suspects in many cases, but never had he felt this much rage. Never in his entire life had he truly _wanted_ to kill.

A hand enclosed on his upper arm causing him to jerk. Brennan let go immediately. "Booth, wait, it isn't necessarily Vega!" she tried to reason with him.

He spun around and gripped both of her arms. "Who else, Temperance? He _wrote the book _on this guy and made millions of dollars off it. Why couldn't it be him?"

"Because that is jumping to conclusions, Seeley," she reasoned using his first name as he had her own.

He sighed, his hands running up the sides of her arm, lightly, causing her to shiver. At this, he smiled, moving his hands up to cup her face. He stepped forward as he asked, "Temperance, did you mean what you said before?"

She swallowed, trying to regain her breathe which had seemed to totally abandon her lungs when he stepped this close to her. "Mean, what?" Not seeming to be able to remember things that had just happened.

He looked nervous as he whispered, "That we're only partners."

She was surprised. "Do you want us to be more than that?"

He wasn't surprised by her bluntness, and he was prepared to lay his heart on that line if it meant he had a chance of being with her. "Yes, I do, Bones."

Waiting in an agonizing suspense, his heart melted when he saw her smile.

"Good," she said as she brought her lips against his. Slipping her hands into his hair, she pulled him as close as she could.

His hands wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her up so her body pressed against his, her feet off the ground.

When they broke apart, Booth smiled but it was a sad smile, a pleading one. "Please, Temperance, allow me to catch the person who hurt you," he whispered, holding her closely, "I need to catch them so I know you are safe."

Temperance swallowed the lump down in her throat. She couldn't say anything. She had never had someone care for her this much. It unnerved her. All she felt she could do was nod.

--

"Thomas Vega!"

Vega turned from where he stood at the edge of the platform of the Jeffersonian crime lab, trying to decipher the clues left for them. He wanted to help catch this killer before he had to see another family go through what the Jeffersonian family had.

He saw that Agent Booth was walking toward him shouting out his name.

"Yes, Agent Booth, what can I do for you today?" Vega called out to him, smiling slightly.

Booth didn't seem to be in a very good mood. Granted the events of the past few days, weeks really, had seen nothing that would lighten the man's mood.

The agent came to a stop right in front of him, drawing his handcuffs from his coat.

"Agent Booth..."

"Thomas Vega," Booth said taking the notes from his hand and pulling them behind his back cuffing them at the wrist, "You are under arrest under multiple charges of death, kidnapping, assault, and a number of other charges all of which I plan to make sure lead to the death penalty even over due parking tickets." Booth shook him forcefully as he pushed him toward the exit.

"I didn't do this, Agent Booth, of this I swear," Vega insisted.

Booth just pushed him toward the awaiting FBI vehicles. "You have the right to remain silent..."

**So I'm sorry for such a long delay...i won't bore you with my excuses of time and writers block...but anyway i hope you enjoyed this latest chapter (did you like my little humor with **_**late**_**-est hahaha cause it took me so long...no?...ah well..i enjoyed my corny joke) anyway i hope the delay won't stop you from clicking that lovely button down there and sending me a review...thank you!!**

**Oh btw this not over yet so keep reading **


	14. Chapter 14

Janine sat in her office chair calmly watching as Thomas Vega was hauled away on television. The headline underneath spelled out, "GRAVEDIGGER'S IDENTITY UNEARTHED". Someone at the tv station must be patting themselves on the back for their oh so catchy banner.

Agent Booth was up now leading Vega away, pushing him ruffly into the squad car. His face held triumph and disgust as he slammed the door in the other man's face. He declined from commenting to any of the reporters now flocking him.

That's right, Agent Booth, walk away all proud and indignant. She knew he did not approve of all the attention murderers got in the media. She knew he knew that's what some of them really wanted...attention. Oh if only, he knew, the real art of kidnapping and killing wasn't about reaping the glory in front of the camera, but rather from behind it, writing about your own handiwork, trying desperately not to announce you were the one who did the deed just by adding some unreleased factoid that never made its way through the media.

She watched as he walked toward his SUV, glancing once at the figure inside to whom she assumed was Dr. Brennan, then once back at the car that was now driving past him with Vega in it. The camera zoomed in on Vega's face freezing it as it passed.

Flipping off the set, she decided that the Gravedigger persona would die with Vega. She would allow him to take the credit for all the hard work _she_ had committed. She took a deep steadying breath as she pulled her leather gloves over her hands. Picking up the voice synthesizer, she smashed it on her desk, placing the shattered pieces into a plastic bag. She'd have to dispose of this somehow. An incinerator, perhaps?

The real question she needed to answer was what to do with her time now? Continue her work under another name? Or perhaps take this as a sign to give up, take was she earned, and move on?

Carefully she wrapped the plastic over the pieces of synthesizer. She'd decide that in the morning, tonight it was about celebrating all that she had accomplished.

She felt the gun pressed against her temple before she had even sensed someone in the room. She smiled. "Hello, Agent Booth, my my you drive fast don't you? I just saw you on tv."

Booth didn't seem as amused. "Place the bag on the desk and put your hands on top of your head, slowly."

She did as he instructed all the while keeping that condescending smile glued to her face. Once he had searched her for weapons, he cuffed her.

"Now Agent Booth, if you wanted to play with hand cuffs all you had to do was ask," she purred at him.

"Shut it," he snapped 'accidently' shoving her into the desk as he secured her. "Bones, the evidence!"

Dr. Brennan finally entered the room with glove adorned hands. Carefully she picked up the plastic bag that held the remains of the voice synthesizer and placed it into an evidence bag. After which she turned to face Janine.

She didn't even see the punch coming, just felt the stinging after effects of it. Janine's sight blurred momentarily from the shear force of the blow.

Brennan turned to look at her partner and calmly said, "She attacked me. I defended myself."

Booth nodded. "Oh that's definitely what I saw." He tugged her ruffly toward the door, running her purposefully into objects on the way. "Janine O'Connell, you are under arrest for...."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Charges against former FBI agent and best selling author Thomas Vega were dropped today. Authorities had suspected Vega of being the infamous Gravedigger, a killer who kidnapped victims and buried them alive, of which he has sold millions of books about. This monster was responsible for nine know kidnappings, four of which the ransom was paid and the victims released and two of which the victims were recovered safely. The three other victims did not survive. The FBI arrested Vega's co-author, Janine O'Connell this morning with sufficient evidenced connecting her to these horrific crimes."_

Brennan flipped the news off. She sighed in relief that the FBI had kept her name from the media. All she needed was her fans to start asking questions about it, not only for her own well being but the fans' as well. If Booth heard them asking her about it, they wouldn't make it to the parking lot.

She smiled and snuggled closer to Booth, who's arm was draped over her from where he lay asleep on her coach. She pressed her back more fully into his front drawing his arms more tightly around her. Booth's face found comfort in the nape of her neck. He breathed her scent in deeply and sighed causing her to shiver slightly in pleasure. He hadn't left her side since this whole thing had ended and even though she knew she shouldn't like him hovering like this, she couldn't help but enjoy his company. She felt safe with his arms around her.

Brennan felt Booth's lips on the back of her neck and knew he had awoken from his nap. His kiss trailed their way up her neck to find her lips, tenderly pressing against them.

"You should go back to sleep, Booth," Brennan said, kissing him lightly again. "You couldn't have gotten much over the past few weeks."

He chuckled his deep brown eyes gazing into her blue ones. "Right back at you."

She smiled, always compromising with him. "Fine, if I go to sleep will you?"

He smirked in triumph. "Yes, I will."

"Alright then," she remarked moving her head to lay against his chest.

His arm, however did not snake around her like she wanted it too, and she looked up at the lost.

"Just getting a blanket," he said, noticing her confusion before she saw him grab the afghan, shaking it over the two of them. Hugging her closely to him, he told her, "Don't worry, I'm not going any where."

"Good." She sighed closing her eyes.

"Booth?" she whispered afraid he might already be asleep.

"Hmm?" he grunted, half-awake.

"I love you," she said it so softly she wasn't sure if he heard her.

His lips came down upon hers in an instant, tender and loving in their embrace. She returned it vigorously and the kiss soon turned into a heated battle of lips and tongues.

When he pulled back, she gazed up at him. Their eyes met and he grinned charmingly. "I love you so much, Bones, more than you know."

Settling back to take their nap, Brennan sighed happily. Never in her life had she felt this content in the arms of anyone, and she felt that no one would ever make her feel this way from here on except for Booth.

She knew soon everything would be back the way it should. The team would put itself slowly back together. It would take time, but they would heal, both physically and mentally. As for Booth and Brennan, issues like their partnership,children, and marriage would be dealt with later. For right now, all Brennan wanted was to drift into a dreamless sleep, the scent of Booth clouding everything else.

**So there it is, we have come to the end of our journey! It is Fin! I hope you enjoyed it and I apologize for all the long waits but I thank you for sticking with me. I hope you liked it enough to review, they are always appreciated. I've got some other ideas in the works...some of which i've already started writing which i hope y'all check out. :) Thanks again!**


End file.
